How to listen to podcasts + 5 podcast recommendations

A couple of weeks ago in my weekly newsletter I shared the three key information sources I use to consume information:

Blogs

Podcasts

Audiobooks

I then went on to discuss how it is important to not only consume information, but to act on what you learn and shared three recent lessons I learnt and how I applied it to my life.

In the newsletter I also went on to ask if readers would be interested in finding out more about the tools I use to consume this info and I had a great response to this! Over the next couple of weeks I will share the tools I use, starting today with podcasts.

You can listen to podcasts directly on your computer however I love podcasts as it lets me listen and learn as I am on the go, so will focus on listening to podcasts on your phone. I listen to podcasts while:

running

cooking

washing and folding

cleaning

driving places

It is amazing how much you can listen to through out a day and how much more pleasant tasks can become if you have a good podcast to listen to.

This post will show you how to listen to podcasts on your iPhone, Android phone and make some podcast recommendations at the end.

I have included screen shots of the stages in the process making the post quite long. So you don’t have to scroll through all of it if you don’t need to, I have made it into sections. To go to the section you want to read, simply click on the links below and it will jump straight there!

How to listen to podcasts on an iPhone

If you have an iPhone, the podcast app comes preinstalled. It is the purple icon on the bottom of my screen.

To subscribe to podcasts open the app. Subscribing to podcasts means every time there is a new episode it will automatically update for you when on wifi. On the bottom right hand side of the app, there is a search icon. Once you click that a search bar will appear and you can enter the title of the podcast you want to listen to or even generic words like parenting for example to explore podcasts on a particular theme.

In my example, I have searched for this family life, which is my podcast! The direct iTunes link for it is here. I would love it if you would subscribe to the podcast. The official launch is the end of April, but the introductory episode is there for you to listen to and you can subscribe so you won’t miss any episodes when it launches!

You can also find new podcasts through the app in other ways. If you click on “top charts” at the bottom of the app you will find the most popular podcast in iTunes at the moment.

If you click on “featured” you will find a list of new and noteworthy podcasts to listen to. I love this feature and it is where I find most of my new podcasts to listen to.

By clicking on “my podcasts” you will find a list of all the podcasts you subscribe to.

To play a podcast, click on the podcast you have subscribed to and it will list all the available episodes.

Click on an episode and it will bring up a show description if there is one and you can then press the “play arrow” at the bottom of your app.

When you are on a podcast you have subscribed to their is a small settings button like this:

If you click “settings” it will bring you to this screen:

From here you can manage your settings. Once you have listened to a podcast for example the default setting is for it to be deleted. This works well because as you begin to subscribe to podcasts they do take up space on your phone. You can always go back and download an episode again if you want to re-listen to it etc.

The default settings for the Podcast App is it will only download episodes when you are connected to wifi. You can override this by clicking on the download button, but be careful about doing this when not on wifi as it uses up significant data and could become expensive if you download too many episodes on 3G/4G.

How to listen to podcasts on an Android phone

To listen to podcasts on your Android phone you will need to download a podcast app. There are many out there and I have chosen one recommended to me by Android users. I don’t use my Android device to listen to podcasts, but have set up the process so I can show you. It took about five minutes to set up and is quite easy.

You need to go to the Google Play Store and search for a podcast app. The Android app recommended to me was Podcast Addict. It has a free and a paid version. From what I can tell, the difference is free has ads, so it is a great place to start with podcasts. If you get into it you can always upgrade the version you are using.

Once you have found the app, click “install”.

It will then appear in your apps screen on your Android phone.

The Podcast Addict app guides you through the process as you start using it.

To add a podcast click on “+” button. It will bring up the screen above.

In my example, I have searched for this family life, which is my podcast! The direct link for it is here. I would love it if you would subscribe to the podcast. The official launch is the end of April, but the introductory episode is there for you to listen to and you can subscribe so you won’t miss any episodes when it launches!

Click on “subscribe” and it will bring up a message to let you know it is retrieving podcast episodes. Once this screen clears, you will need to download the first episode of your podcast.

To go to your subscribed podcasts, click on the three lines in the top left hand corner as shown above. And it will take you to the main menu, from which you can click “podcasts”:

It will bring up a page with all the podcasts you have subscribed to.

Choose the podcast you want to open by clicking on it. There will be podcast episodes sitting there for you to download. To download click the down arrow and the following message will appear.

Now you want this to happen automatically for you every time there is a new episode. To make sure this happens you have to change the settings in Podcast Addict. To change the settings, return to main menu and press the settings button at the bottom of the screen (three lines on the right hand corner):

The settings menu will then appear. Click on “Download”.

From the download menu then check “Automatic download”. From now on if a podcast you have subscribed to releases a new episode it will be automatically downloaded for you.

The default settings for Podcast Addict is it will only download episodes when you are connected to wifi. You can override this by clicking on the download button, but be careful about doing this when not on wifi as it uses up significant data and could become expensive if you download too many episodes on 3G/4G.

5 podcast recommendations

Here are five podcasts I am loving at the moment:

Let It Be

Let It Be is a podcast by two of my favourite Australian bloggers/podcasters – Kelly Exeter from A life less frantic and Brooke McAlary from Slow Your Home. It is a relatively new podcast with 14 episodes at the time of writing.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts with Susan Cain

This podcast is hosted and produced by Susan Cain who is the co-founder of Quiet Revolution and the author of the award-winning New York Times bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking.

The first season of the podcast focuses on giving parents and educators the tools to empower quiet kids. Expect to learn about how caregivers and schools can better understand and support introverts, how the changing landscape of social media impacts quiet children, the neuroscience of introversion, and more. You’ll also hear sound advice from Susan and experts in education and parenting.

Optimal Living Daily

Optimal living daily is the only daily podcast I subscribe to and it is a very different format from other podcasts I listen to. The host Justin Malik reads his favourite posts from blogs on performance, self help, happiness, meditation and minimalism. Episodes are short generally no longer than 10 minutes.

Subtle Disruptors

There is great story telling in Subtle Disruptors. Its first season focuses on Melbourne based folk who are doing their thing, their way and making change. The host Adam Murray interviews his guests in locations which are important to them and you are left feeling inspired and wanting to create change!

My podcast! – this family life

In case you didn’t read the how to parts of this post, the introductory episode of my podcast, this family life is now live! I am so excited about bringing this series to you. I have had such a wonderful time interviewing other parents on how they organise the chaos of family life and listening to the diverse range of family set ups.

The official launch of the podcast will not be until the end of April and I will definitely let you know about it! But to make sure you catch every episode you can subscribe to the podcasts as shown above and you can even listen to it via the widget below! The direct iTunes link for it is here.

What podcasts are you listening too?

Nicole Avery is a Melbourne mum to five beautiful kids aged 19 to 9. Nic is slightly addicted to spreadsheets, tea, running, CrossFit. Her goal for 2017 is to invest in relationships with family, friends and community to bring joy and connection. Read More…